Climate shifts fuel hantavirus surge across Argentina

Argentina is seeing a near doubling of hantavirus cases this season, with 101 confirmed infections and 32 deaths, as climate-driven habitat disruption and droughts push rodent populations into new areas. Most cases have been in the central region around Buenos Aires, and health officials are investigating links to an Andes-strain outbreak tied to a cruise ship. Experts say increasing human-wildlife contact and environmental degradation are expanding the virus’s reach, though human-to-human transmission remains limited; authorities will continue rodent surveillance and outbreak tracing.